WINNER!!!!!!

That's me............I don't often go to the Company Relations meeting (morning and I work afternoons) which are held a couple of times a year.  I do put in a slip every week for the drawing, sometimes 2.  The qualifiers are "aerobic exercise 3x in a week, 30-50 min. each time" - check (actually 4x/wk).  I also put in another slip for "I participated in strength/flexibility exercise and met the weekly goal of 2x/wk, 20-30 min. each".  This one, not every week, it depends on how my morning is going but it is usually 2-3x/month.  

Last time there was a drawing our little pouch of slips was not emptied and our building was slighted...........so this makes up for it!

Big sneers from everyone (in jest) because of the DAY OFF, yes, that was one of my prizes, actually the big prize.  The other prize is a $20.00 gift certificate to the Co-op.

Have to say I'm feeling pretty lucky today!!!!!

 It was Nicole's 37th b-day and we got to share some yummy cake!

 Linda left Saturday afternoon to go celebrate her anniversary with hubby and had to climb in the window on Sunday a.m. because we were still sleeping (I slept in until 8:25am!)

Audrey, Lisa and Laurie

 Kristi and Robin

The fabulous Hazelnut, mocha cake from Market of Choice :)

Here we all are working real hard.....

girlfriend Anita working on Whitney's baby shower photos

Another retreat gone by, my goodness they sure fly by fast!  A very productive retreat scrapping booking and hashing things out.  After doing this for 4 years it was getting a little old, when you are primarily the responsible person for putting most of it together.  At this retreat I relinguished some of my duties (yeh)!

We decided to take turns gathering the money and turning it in to the retreat center (I so needed a break from that)!  Now we need to figure out a way that everyone can be involved in clean-up or setting up.  Maybe the people that gather the money can be the set-up crew too?  How about that? Still would need volunteers for cleaning up since that is one of the most time consuming parts of the retreat.  Need your thoughts..........

(laura and I at CKC-Portland 2/10)

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to retreat I go..................

Yes, another retreat!   Yes, I am so ready for some girlfriend time!

Came into work early today (10am) so I could leave at 3pm.  Will get there around 3:30ish to set up tables and haul in ALL my stuff.  Buddy Anita will be there too, can't wait!

Retreat time is fast approaching and I'll be spending the weekend with some of these gals..........(photo taken at our Scrapper's Christmas party 2009).

I am so ready!!!!!   Got my menu set for Friday night dinner, chicken piccata with pasta (Anita's portion of the dinner) and a green salad. For dessert....... dump cake (hmmm what should I mix with the pineapple)! 

We partner up with a friend for dinner and Anita will be my partner.  After your meal you're off the hook for the rest of the retreat! 

We do these retreats 3x/year and really do enjoy them and look forward to them.  There are usually 10-12 of us and we do them in a farmhouse in Talent, not too far for any of us, except for Nicole who drives in from Coos Bay.  Her sis-in-law Melissa recruited her and she's been part of the group every since. 

This morning I started making my grocery list and my "what to bring list" and starting tonight I will begin pulling out photos and papers.  I have my big tote ready but only one thing in it..........candy (I stopped at the Dollar tree last week and stocked up - lol). 



Photos from the "little" hike Pete, Annie and I took........

My small collection of "vintage" cameras.  The little "110" was actually mine. 

I guess I should mention, these are in the den.  Pete and I made the black boxes, actually need more, need to put that on "the list". 

The little wall space between the upper cabinets and the desk is where these are displayed.

lawn seating

you order here and pick up on the right side

my fish tacos and mango margarita (yes, a pitcher)

Walking to the car.....view of Mono Lake.

On Sunday (Labor Day weekend trip) we went to "the Mobil" gas station (up in the hills of Lee Vining) for dinner, are you laughing yet?

SIL kept talking about going to dinner at the Mobil gas station and we finally planned for it on this trip.

Get this.......on Thursdays and Sundays, they have live music on the lawn, which is pretty big and they have picnic tables.

They have an extensive menu including beer, wine and margaritas (by glass or pitchers).  I had the fish tacos and Pete had the lobster taquitos.  The music is 4-7pm.  We just beat the crowd when we got there.  Rocky went back to order more fries and got stuck on a very long line.  It is a pretty popular place and SIL said that it wasn't "that" crowded because it was the last weekend of the season, during the summer it has been "the happening place".

So next time someone says...................

The Big Hike

(Laurie and Rachel Rae)

(the next 3 photos are taken sitting in front of the waterfall)(this was the only log crossing that was "hairy" for me)(SIL on the way back)

It had been about 8 years since I'd done this hike and I'm not sure if that time I made it as far as the waterfall.  Good news is that I am in pretty good shape!  Not one ache the day after!  

When we lived in Las Vegas, every Labor Day weekend we would drive to "Lundy Lake Resort", a small rustic, fishing resort near Lee Vining (the gateway to Yosemite).  It was a 5 1/2 hour drive from there but a 7 1/2 hour drive from here, not really a do-able drive for a 3 day weekend, so I took 3 vacation days.  You see it had been 5 years we had been there, and at that time we were there for my father-in-law's (Everette J. La Pierre) memorial, not really a happy time. 
So last weekend was the first time since we've camped there without physical Ed, but Ed in spirit.  You see he lead us on all our hikes, he pretty much knew that whole area: it would have been his 34th Summer there.   His wife, Pete's step mom, Linda is still going there.  She is pretty much a historian on the area.  During the season on Saturdays she does a hiking tour.  So she has been spending her summers there, which is not too far from home (about 1 1/2 hours).
We left on Thursday am and got back home on Tuesday pm.  Tim and Laurie  (BIL, SIL) reserved our spot so we were all close to Linda and Ed's site (a customized site where Linda had her trailer).  I think I'll start with those photos and in the next couple of days put up photos of our hikes, etc.

We all had a great time.  Rocky caught the biggest fish (trout), (he's the only one that fishes with Uncle Tim) and I took a couple of great hikes.  Annie had the best time, but her poor tootsies were so sore on Tuesday, but hey, we were on our way home and she got to snooze the whole way. 

9-11.........it breaks my heart just thinking about it.  The one place I had to go when we went to NY in 2005 was "Ground Zero".  There were many times I stepped foot in one of those towers (it could have been me).......one of my oldest and dearest friends at one time worked in one of those towers, for "ATF".  I shuddered when I thought my god, she could have been one of the victims. 

It was spooky being there, the hair on my arms were standing on end and I couldn't help but tear up. 

I will never forget.

Wow, I just realized he was smiling in one of the photos..........and a natural smile, not forced!

"Come on mom, hurry up, I can't miss the bus!"  Mr. Routine!  This kid is very routine - driven, he knows I take a photo of him on those steps the first day of school since we've lived here.  Luckily, I was up early and I was in the middle of something in the bathroom, but jumped when he said those words, because really, I couldn't miss my photo op!

Back to school and not only school but Rocky's senior year, wow, is this year going to fly and so will he.  I'm starting to miss him, just thinking of it.

(Annie and Pete in Lundy at the water falls..........more photos tomorrow)

This past weekend I noticed that our little girl was not that little anymore so I asked Pete to take her to the vet to check her weight (they have a scale in the lobby and you can drop in anytime).  Well, our little baby now weighs 65 lbs!  I told Pete yesterday to cut her food down since I thought she might be getting a little on heavy side, she looks perfect right now.  Her body hair is coming in and her feathers are getting a little fuller, too. 

 She's is still such a lovey!!!!